Barreling towards its Netflix premiere on December 4, 2025, The Abandons promises to be a worthy Yellowstone rival this fall. Created by Sons of Anarchy showrunner Kurt Sutter, The Abandons stars Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson as rival matriarchs from opposite ends of the wealth gap vying for supremacy in the Old West.
Boasting an outstanding supporting ensemble, the new Netflix Western series paints a vivid portrait of harsh living along the American frontier in the 19th century, in ways sure to appeal to Yellowstone fans. In addition to the show’s compelling premise and cast of characters, we must discuss Kurt Sutter’s sudden departure during production.
What Is Netflix’s ‘The Abandons’ About?
Created by Kurt Sutter (The Shield, Sons of Anarchy), The Abandons is a Western action drama set in the Oregon/Washington Territory in 1854. The story spotlights the violent rivalry between the Nolan and Van Ness families. Lena Headey (Game of Thrones, Dredd) plays Fiona Nolan, a humble, poor, and deeply religious woman who emigrated from Ireland to build a future for her family in America by settling in the silver-rich mining town of Jasper Hollow.
Unable to bear children, Fiona adopts four misfit orphans that she loves as her own and raises them without a father in the belief that she has a higher calling from God. Together, Fiona and her adopted family are known as The Abandons. As Fiona tries to build a prosperous life on the American frontier, she faces cruel resistance from Constance Van Ness, played by Gillian Anderson (The X-Files, Sex Education). Van Ness is a widow who hails from an ultra-wealthy dynasty hell-bent on seizing control of The Abandons’ valuable plot of land.
As the power struggle between the two families intensifies, Fiona and Constance lead the charge in a ruthless battle for territorial dominance. According to executive producer Chris Keyser (via Tudum by Netflix):
“This first chapter of The Abandons is a classic American story — the frontier, two families both at war and in love with each other, [and] a battle over who owns the land and who makes the rules. In the middle of murder and revenge and a bit of illicit romance, we get to explore questions we never seem to get away from:
What makes a family? How do you stay good in a bad world? And would you change who you are and what you believe in to protect what you love? But in this case, we do it all through the eyes of Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson, as two widowed matriarchs battling to survive. And that…is really something to watch.”
Why Kurt Sutter Left ‘The Abandons’ in 2024
In October 2024, series creator and showrunner Kurt Sutter abruptly left the production during principal photography, with only three weeks left until wrap. According to Deadline, Sutter suddenly exited the show after Netflix voiced displeasure after seeing rough cuts of the first episodes.
After watching the rough cuts, Netflix was unhappy with the overlong 100-minute, feature-length premiere episode, which apparently moved too slowly and spent far too much time introducing way too many characters. Netflix tried to salvage the episode’s integrity by reducing it to 60 minutes, but when that was deemed impossible, the decision was made to split the pilot into two episodes.
Sutter, who wrote the episode, was upset about the decision, which required reshoots for the opening and closing scenes and a second-act cliffhanger. The show had already completed six of seven episodes when Sutter departed, opening the door for someone else to write the new scenes mandated by Netflix for its original Western.
Although Netflix and Sutter both declined to comment on the shocking exit, it seems safe to assume that this ultimately came down to creative differences. Following Sutter’s departure, executive producer and series director Otto Bathurst is serving as showrunner, alongside co-executive producer Rob Askins. It’s worth noting that Sutter also had significant creative differences with FX in 2019 over his show Mayans M.C., for which he was fired following reports of a toxic workplace environment. While there is no indication that Sutter and the cast of The Abandons didn’t get along, Netflix was dissatisfied with the slow, overindulgent 100-minute opening episode.
Who Else Stars in ‘The Abandons’?
In addition to Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey leading the way, The Abandons features an excellent supporting cast. The four orphans adopted by Fiona include Dahlia Teller, played by Diana Silvers (Ma, Booksmart), Elias Teller, played by Nick Robinson (Love, Simon, A Teacher), Albert Mason, portrayed by Lamar Johnson (The Last of Us, Your Honor), and Lilla Belle, played by Natalia del Riego (Velma, NCIS: Los Angeles). While some are more devoted to Fiona than others, all the adopted orphans remain loyal to the Nolan family.
On the other side of the power struggle, Constance Van Ness is bolstered by her overly driven son, Garrett, played by Lucas Till (MacGuyver, X-Men: Apocalypse), her daughter Trisha, played by Aisling Franciosi (The Nightingale, The Fall), and her eldest child, Willem, portrayed by Toby Hemingway (Hell on Wheels, The Crossing).
While their roles are less detailed, other notable actors in The Abandons include:
- Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio) as Mayor Nibley,
- Jack Doolan (White Gold) as Leslie Moran,
- Michael Greyeyes (V Wars) as Jack Cree,
- Michiel Huisman (Game of Thrones) as Roache,
- Michael Ornstein (Mayans M.C.) as Isaac Marstein,
- Clayton Cardenas (Mayans M.C.) as Quentin Serra,
- Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (Little Bird) as Oma Serra,
- Marc Menchaca (Ozark) as Sheriff Hayowrth,
- Katelyn Wells (Ginny & Georgia) as Samara Alderton,
- Catherine Gell (The Northlander) as Beatrice,
- Sarah Grace White (Grey’s Anatomy) as Kiki,
- Haig Sutherland (Lucky Hank) as Pastor Collier,
- Hannah Forest Briand (Camping Trip) as Jenny,
- Ryan Bruce (Essex County) as Claven
Fans hope that The Abandons will maintain the quality that the show likely would have had if Sutter stayed with the Western drama. Audiences will find out soon, as all seven episodes of The Abandons are set to be released on Netflix on December 4, 2025.
- Release Date
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December 4, 2025
- Network
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Netflix
